1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cutting tool such as a reciprocating saw performing cutting operation with a blade protruding to the front of a housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional cutting tool such as a reciprocating saw has a metal housing which accommodates a slider for performing reciprocating motion in accordance with rotation of a motor. The cutting tool also has a blade connected to the top of the slider and protruding at the front of the housing. With this configuration, the blade performs the reciprocating motion with the slider simultaneously, thereby enabling cutting of a material to be cut.
On the other hand, the housing on which an insulation cover made of rubber and so on is placed is known in order to provide excellent electrical isolation during cutting performance and provide a user with little discomfort caused by temperature rise in the housing. In particular, Japan Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-301411 discloses a cutting tool in which a resilient member serving as an insulation cover is placed to a front cover in order to improve heat insulation. Further, a clearance is provided between the front cover and a gear cover provided therein and then air for cooling a motor flows into the clearance, whereby the front cover and the gear cover can be cooled. Moreover, a base (a guide member) which holds the blade stable with respect to the material to be cut is attached in order to adjust the length of forward extrusion of the blade.
However, during cutting operation, a cutting portion is hard to be seen because it is covered with dust generated from the material to be cut. As a result, a user has trouble to stop his operation in order to remove the dust very often, thereby deteriorating operability. In particular, the dust intruding into an attaching portion of the guide member obstructs the guide member's smooth movement. As a result, operability concerning adjustment of a guiding position is lowered.
To solve the above problem, the object of the present invention is to provide a cutting tool in which air for cooling a motor is used to cool a housing as well as effectively prevent dust intrusion into an attaching portion of a guide member, thereby maintaining excellent operability.